Conventionally, a specimen analyzing apparatus for measuring a specimen by using a reagent has been known. According to such a specimen analyzing apparatus, a measurement sample prepared by mixing a specimen and a reagent is measured by a measurement section. When such preparation is performed, the specimen and the reagent are suctioned and dispensed by a corresponding pipette or the like, respectively. The reagent is contained in a reagent container and set in the specimen analyzing apparatus. When an amount of the reagent contained in the reagent container gets smaller, a user replaces the reagent container.
For example, in a specimen analyzing apparatus described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0014118, by mounting a container rack holding a reagent container on a reagent table, the reagent container is set in the specimen analyzing apparatus. In this case, the replacement of a reagent container can be realized by employing the configuration in which a container rack holding a reagent container to be replaced is positioned at a container replacement position which can be opened to the outside.
In this configuration, the reagent table is driven in response to a user's command for the replacement of the reagent to transport and the container rack for holding a reagent container as a replacement target is transported to the container replacement position. A user takes out the container rack positioned at the container replacement position and the user replaces the reagent container as a replacement target with a reagent container containing a new reagent. Then, the user mounts the container rack holding the new reagent container on the reagent table. In this manner, the replacement of the reagent is completed.
However, in the above-described configuration, in order to prevent a user from coming into contact with a pipette of a dispensing mechanism during the replacement of the reagent, it is necessary to move the pipette of the dispensing mechanism so as not to come within the range of the container replacement position. Accordingly, the degree of freedom in the layout of the dispensing mechanism is limited by the container replacement position.